The 5 Best Home Care Agencies for Seniors in Pentress, WV for 2024

Pentress is a small residential community located close to Morgantown, West Virginia. The town is part of Monongalia County, where 13.5% of the region’s 106,000 residents are seniors over the age of 65 — a somewhat smaller proportion than the national percentage of roughly 17%. Tucked away in the forested hill country near the Mason-Dixon Line between West Virginia and Pennsylvania, Pentress is surrounded by senior-friendly hiking trails and campgrounds. Several local sites of historical interest offer discounted senior admission, and access to the nearby Drunkard Creek recreational area is free.

According to the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, in-home care in Pentress averages $3,051 a month. Home care is different from home health care in that it doesn’t include medication assistance or other health-related services. For seniors aging in place, local medical resources include Medicare-enrolled hospitals and medical centers such as Mon Health Medical Center and J. W. Ruby Memorial Medical Center — both have geriatric medicine practitioners who specialize in the health needs of seniors.

Below we’ve compiled a comprehensive directory of every home care provider in Pentress– complete with services offered and reviews from families who’ve actually used the service. In addition to our in-depth provider listings, we’ve compiled resources to help seniors and their families to access all the tools they need to age in place safely and gracefully.

In-home care costs in Pentress average $3,051 a month. This is $476 less than the West Virginia state average of $3,527, and it’s $1,906 a month less than the national average cost of $4,957. Similar care elsewhere in West Virginia ranges in price from Parkersburg, where seniors pay $3,051 a month, the same as Pentress, to Charleston, where costs run as high as $4,481. Wheeling and Huntington come in between these, at $3,432 and $3,670 a month, respectively.

Home care is one of the more affordable senior care options in Pentress. Both in-home care and home health care average $3,051 a month, which is significantly less than the $5,700 a month seniors pay for assisted living in the area. Home health care provides light medical services, such as medication assistance and other features not offered with in-home care. Nursing home care generally costs more than these services, with a semiprivate room in Pentress-area nursing homes averaging $12,167 a month. 

Given the high cost of in-home care, many people use one or more forms of financial assistance to cover the expenses. Below, we explain some of the most common sources of financial help for paying for in-home care. If none of these options are available to you, you can reach out to your Area Agency on Aging or Aging and Disability Resource Center to learn about local resources.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance covers expenses related to senior care, including in-home care. Depending on the policy type, beneficiaries may receive a cash payment to use towards long-term care or reimbursement for qualifying long-term care expenses. Note that there are limitations- typically a maximum benefit of $150 per day- and exact coverage terms vary depending on the exact policy, so always check the details.
• Medicare: Medicare does not cover in-home care because it is classified as custodial, or non-medical, care. However, some Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, which offer expanded benefits, may cover in-home custodial care.
• Medicaid: Medicaid coverage of in-home care varies between different states because it is not a federally mandated benefit. Currently, all states cover some in-home care either through their standard Medicaid or a waiver program. The specific coverage rules are set individually by each state.
• Veterans’ Benefits: The Aid and Attendance benefit is a monthly cash payment that beneficiaries can use to pay for senior care, including in-home care services. To qualify for A&A, Veterans must already receive the VA pension and meet several additional requirements, including needing assistance with the activities of daily living. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to learn more.
• Reverse Mortgages: Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) are federally insured loans that are available to homeowners age 62 and over. Reverse mortgages allow you to access a portion of your home’s equity in cash, tax free. Many seniors use reverse mortgages to finance their care expenses, including in-home care. Note that although there are no monthly payments due on reverse mortgage loans, borrowers do have to repay the loan once the last surviving homeowner passes away, moves, or sells the home.